Some of them leave Spokane International wondering what all the fuss is about.

When they return a few days later, though, greeted by a star-spangled band and boisterous applause from complete strangers, for some of them it's the first real hero's welcome they've ever gotten, and they appreciate it to their dying day.

We're talking about the World War II veterans from our region who are lifted, physically and emotionally, by Inland Northwest Honor Flight. Honor Flight takes them, at no cost to the veterans, back to Washington, D.C. There the groups visit the memorials for World War II, Air Force, Army, Navy, Korea and Vietnam. They also witness the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery.

We've written about this program before but urgently need to remind you about the group and its valiant mission. The first flight from Spokane took off in November 2009. Last year, six trips carried a total of 240 veterans from our area back to our nation's capital. But because funding and individual donations are so low this year, Inland Northwest Honor Flight is running on fumes. Right now, only two trips are planned, and the waiting list is hundreds of veterans long. Many of them are old and sick. They can't wait much longer.

We met recently with one of Honor Flight's dedicated volunteers, Deni Wiggins. Deni pointed out that an estimated 1,200 WWII veterans are dying every day. She said because of the generosity of Southwest Airlines and others involved in keeping costs low throughout the trip, the cost for each veteran is about $800. That includes roundtrip airfare, two nights in a Baltimore hotel, a charter bus and meals.

"The trips are very quick, very exhausting and very emotional for them," she said.

And very, very much appreciated.

Nils Rosdahl of The Press will be venturing to Washington later this month with up to 35 veterans from our region, and he'll share that story with our readers shortly thereafter. We implore you to visit the organization's website or to email Deni (deni@inwhonorflight.org) and see how you might help.

The need is great, but together we can do this because the cause is greater.